Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.

The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:

10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.

9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.

8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.

6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”

5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”

3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.

1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.

0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.

Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!

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Final Score: 7.89

How Did We Get This Score?

Final Scores:

(15% of Final Score) Cast: 7.75

(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 7.15

(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 8.45

(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 8

(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.13

(5% of Final Score) Theme: 7.5

(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 7.68

(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 8.43

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Summary:

Deep in the backwoods of West Virginia, you will come to a newer community haunt, with two seasons under their belt. The drive alone is an adventure with hairpin curves and steep inclines all along the way.

Hysteria is a haunt with a lot of pride in the community. Volunteers come together in the summer and work, starting with building the set, and ending with acting during the fall months (and postseason tear down). They are a touch haunt, but the touch is gentle and not harmful in any way.

This year, Hysteria Fear Fest has a 30,000 square foot plan to send you on a haunted trail of breathtaking laser lights, a virtual reality mind trip, a hooded/blindfold adventure with only your sense of touch to get out, and then a haunted house with a variety of tricks and screams up their sleeves. With all of this going on, plan on staying a while.

Cast: 7.75

How Did We Get This Score?

Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):

(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 8

(30% of Cast Score) How believable / convincing were the actors?: 8

(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors?: 7.5

(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 7.5

(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 7.5Explanation:

There were different characters, but we would have liked more that go with the theme, like maids, butlers, drivers, gardeners…

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The all-volunteer cast seemed to thoroughly enjoy working in this haunt. They were lively and would lightly touch or grab at you to show you just how serious they were. Sometimes they would scream at you or scream just to be screaming. Other times they would whisper, or not even talk at all. Some would just laugh at you. They were an interactive crew, inviting/insisting you join them for the world’s most disgusting dinner or into playing a shocking round of the Ouija board. I think they may have enjoyed their time with us a little too much in the maze section by encouraging us to pick (the wrong) doors, time…. and time…. and time again.

There was a broad age group, from younger-looking children to teens and young adults. They taunted us as we had to make decisions, or they were just generally intimidating us. When they compliment you on your eyes, claiming they are pretty and they really like them, be careful because they may try to keep them for their collection! My eyes are blue, and wouldn’t you know it -blue was the color she needed!

Now, the actual location of the haunted house is hidden and secret, so you will be hooded and left outside with nothing but a string to use to feel your way to the house! Cast members are in the dark jostling the rope on you, whispering in your ear, or touching your hand, head, and shoulder.

Costuming: 7.15

How Did We Get This Score?

Costuming Scores (15% of Final Score):

(15% of Costuming Score) How complete / finished did the costumes appear to be?: 8

(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 7

(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 7Explanation:

Some masks looked a little big.

(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 7.5Explanation:

Costuming helped us determine where we were in each setting, just unsure how they fit with the theme at times.

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From little creatures wearing black costumes with white masks to a traditional witch wearing a black dress in green face paint acting as a guide to get you hooded and on your way in the dark, there were many varieties of characters and costumes.

The dinner party members were dressed in their Sunday best for a gruesome dinner. I am surprised at how clean they were after being in such a filthy kitchen. We met a ghillie suit actor waiting for us in a long, strangely-lit hall. There were little girls everywhere, some in traditional-looking white gowns, while others were wearing more modern-looking pjs, all the while putting us in tight quarters with a clown/Momo hybrid character. You won’t have to look far to find a clown or two. We had a swamp creature join us in the sewage swamp area.

With the variety of costumes, the quality of them was also varied. Some were nice street clothing, appropriate for the dinner setting. We did recognize some store bought costumes, but not many. Each character looked complete. Makeup didn’t appear fancy or intricate. There seemed to be much more masks and the use of makeup was minimal, aside from the green-faced witch. Everyone else without masks had a basic ghostly white appearance to their faces.

Customer Service: 8.45

How Did We Get This Score?

Customer Service Scores (10% of Final Score):

(25% of CS Score) How easy was it to locate the attraction, park, and navigate the premises?: 8

(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 8

(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 9

(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before you arrived?: 9

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Staff was very friendly and helpful. Sales staff behave as though they love being there. They answer any questions you have, and show appreciation for your business.

The road leading to the haunt is winding and narrow. It is easy to pass the road leading to the gravel parking lot, if you miss the small Hysteria sign on the street. There was a huge lighted blow up skeleton character in the parking area to help get your attention. Parking space seemed appropriate in size, but wasn’t lit at all, aside from what came off the blow up and through the windows of nearby buildings. Because we parked near the middle of the building, we first went toward the road side of the building, but quickly determined the back was where we needed to start, as the front was in total darkness with no decoration. Sure enough, the back end of the building had lights, more blow ups and decorations lined up making a path to the ticket area.

Hysteria has both a webpage and Facebook. From those, vital information like address, contact info, and dates are available. If you so desire, you can purchase tickets from their website. We could find no major issues with safety. They even thought of covering any drains and also placing lights in them, so you can see them well in the dark.

Inside the attractions, we never saw or heard other groups. They did a fabulous job of keeping groups together, yet separate from everybody else.

Atmosphere: 8

How Did We Get This Score?

Atmosphere Scores (10% of Final Score):

(60% of Atmosphere Score) How obvious was it that you were at a haunted house before entering?: 8

(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 8

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There is a lit up area at the back of the business indicating where to start your adventure. There are several blow ups, and additional props guiding the path to the ticket area. There are also tables set up with ticket prices and information about what to expect. Appropriate Halloween music was playing as well.

Once you purchase your tickets, you are guided to the haunted trail to get started. While there wasn’t anybody entertaining you at the ticket booth area, there were several props to check out and enjoy on your own. You don’t spend much time in this area anyway, as you have a lot of ground to cover, and are sent on your way quickly to the trail.

Special Effects: 8.13

How Did We Get This Score?

Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):

(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8

(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 8.5

(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 7.5Explanation:

Walls were dark and covered building materials. There were some areas we weren’t sure about, like the clown area, and amputee room.

(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 8.5

(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8

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There were plenty of special effects here. I hope you like to get a little wet because there is a surprise shot of water you never see coming. They fabricated the illusion of an elevator ride, with a creepy passenger. You even get a choice between a slide through sewage or to go on a jarring coffin ride. They included one of the classics, a sparking hand tool against a metal fence.

There was a soundtrack playing creepy music. You hear tons of screaming from the young actors. Be careful at the card table, you will get the shock of your life! The air compressors were working overtime tonight. If you didn’t already know, never trust a clown. They don’t talk, but boy, they have their crazy horns that do their talking for them.

Scenes were decorated appropriately. The bedrooms looked like bedrooms with a bed and chairs, the kitchen looked like a kitchen with an oven, a table and large walk-in refrigerator, etc. However, some areas were large and a little unclear as to what they were supposed to be.

An added bonus to the combo ticket is the ability to participate in a virtual reality (VR) experience. To go along with the haunted mansion theme, in the VR room, you enter and try to survive a VR haunted mansion that plays tricks on your sense of balance, and has plenty of jump scares. There is also a headset allowing for audio opportunities along with what you are seeing. If you experience motion sickness easily, you might want to take some Dramamine before attempting. If you are unfamiliar with the VR experience, prepare to get weirded out, (in a good way!)

Also included in the combo ticket is a lovely, well-lit laser trail… that just happens to be haunted.

Theme: 7.5

How Did We Get This Score?

Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):

(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 8

(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 7

(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 8Explanation:

Well, we were hooded before entering so, we think everything fit, haha. There were no glaring issues with this location hosting a haunted house or mansion.

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The VR haunted mansion experience leads to the next part, the haunted mansion haunted house portion. Signage indicated the theme of the haunt. While there were areas that one would expect in a mansion (elevator, dinner table setting, little girls bedroom, corridors), there were some places we weren’t sure fit in with a haunted mansion such as some large sections with medical victims and a dude in a chain link fencing area.

Scare Factor: 7.68

How Did We Get This Score?

Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):

(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 8

(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 9

(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 7

(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 7.5

(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 7Explanation:

We just walked out the building as the finale. Maybe put someone there to do something to scare as people leave that area.

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This place is entertaining. We experienced some new things here we had never experienced before. We were startled more than once in more than one way. If you don’t like electric jolts, the dark, your head covered, have a fear of being lost, dislike tight spaces, experience vertigo easily, sparking machinery makes you uncomfortable, hate getting screamed at, threatened with harm or creeped out by clowns, then they have you covered (though maybe not in a good way.)

The scares were evenly distributed to everyone, front and back. The finale could use a little more scare in it to make it a grand finale.

Entertainment & Value: 8.43

How Did We Get This Score?

Entertainment & Value Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):

(30% of E&V Score) How satisfied are you with the entertainment received during the main attraction/s?: 8

(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied are you with the entertainment that’s available with the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 8.5

(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 9

(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 8

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The haunted trail, hooded/blindfold experience, and haunted house cost $25. The haunted trail and VR experience is also $25. You can bundle everything together for $40 and get a t-shirt for free!

When it comes to additional entertainment, as mentioned above, there was music and plenty of props to look at while we waited in line. Our time in line was very short though.

Considering we did all of this in just under an hour, we felt satisfied with the time we spent there as compared to the price.

How Did We Get These Scores

Our Rating System

Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.

The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:

10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.

9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.

8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.

6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”

5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”

3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.

1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.

0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.

Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!

Photos from Review Trip:

Guest ReviewsGuest Average: 10 out of 10

Ginger – 10/10Amazing, you really get your money’s worth. Took almost an hour to go through! We loved it!

Susie – 10/10The best haunted house I have been to! I would recommend everyone to go. It definitely does not …show more disappoint. Also worth the money and the drive!

Hadeb – 10/1010/10!! The best haunted house I have been to my whole life! I would recommend this place for anyone …show more who loves a good scare!! Great staff and very good environment! Definitely worth the money.